Neck and shoulder tightness, shallow breathing, and a sense of holding and tension in the body-these are familiar companions for many of us in daily life. Iryna Arnautova, a Sacramento-based rehabilitation and neuro-somatic movement specialist, has spent the last decade helping people overcome these issues. Her Postural Reset Method™ combines 360° breathing, fascial micro-movements, and axial alignment to help clients reduce protective bracing and restore functional ease. We’re honored to speak with her about the science, subtlety, and inspiration behind her work.
Which traditions, teachers, or scientific influences shaped your approach the most?
I began in the Pattabhi Jois tradition, studying with one of his students, Vijay Amar, in India in 2013. Vijay gave me a tremendous foundation. I literally crawled into yoga thinking it would be my last attempt to cope with depression-the depression that made me leave everything behind and move to Asia. The steady focus on asana gradually brought me back into balance, and that’s how I started training to teach. I wanted to consolidate my own progress and understand why yoga works so powerfully with emotional states. I earned a Yoga Alliance certificate and, in parallel, was deeply influenced by Vipassana-a ten-day silent retreat in Lumbini, Nepal, the birthplace of the Buddha.
After that I traveled across Asia. People consistently noticed my physical and emotional well-being and asked to learn from me. I taught yoga and breathwork throughout the region and took classes from Kino MacGregor and Dylan Werner.
I wasn’t looking for work-people found me and invited me to teach workshops and classes. Then Berjaya Corporation in Malaysia offered me a position at Redang Island Resort (Berjaya Hotels & Resorts / Berjaya Land). I felt my life had turned a corner, but while people changed during short resort stays, I wanted to deliver longer-term results, so I moved to Indonesia.
That’s where the most important phase began. People sought me out, offered me space, formed groups-and I realized my best teachers were my students. Each person arrived with a different need, and my knowledge of physiology and anatomy wasn’t always enough. I took university-level courses from Australian and American programs, including Harvard, to strengthen my skills. Clients began coming with pain conditions, and pregnant clients as well. When I moved back to Ukraine, I became pregnant myself and co-created a program with a chief physician to prepare women for birth; I earned a prenatal/yoga for pregnancy certificate and was invited to work in a gynecology department.
As my client base grew, so did the diversity of requests. I trained with Ksenia Shatskaya, one of Russia’s most respected teachers of anatomy and physiology; completing all of her programs pushed me firmly into a science-based approach-guesswork wasn’t an option. I studied scientific breathwork with Mikhail Baranov, trained with leading yoga therapists Lidiya Gutorенко and Sergey Manindetchev (within Sergey Agapkin’s methodology), and completed a comprehensive program at Organic People that united multiple traditions with a more scientific lens (teachers included Tatyana Illarionova and Maria Mitrofanova). There I met a behavioral neurophysiology instructor who opened up an entire world for me-how the brain signals and how neural structures form-Filipp Egorov, listed by Forbes in 2019 among notable educators. I also studied with Vyacheslav Dubynin, Doctor of Biological Sciences and a professor of physiology.
I explored Bernstein’s work, took Thomas Myers’ Anatomy Trains twice, and studied Gray’s Anatomy. All of this taught me to think, and to understand there is no one-size-fits-all approach; synergy matters because people and cultures differ-everyone is unique. I also trained with Mikhail Saidov (coaching) to better understand people and find the right approach.
I constantly read and analyze the latest research-Web of Science, PubMed, and other sources. In the US, I completed NASM-CPT and have no plans to stop. My method formed over years-piece by piece. Study alone wouldn’t have created it; it emerged from integrating knowledge, analysis, and-most importantly-experience with each client over 13 years.
Ultimately, people and their needs shaped the method.
In practice, what does “do less-do it more precisely” look like? How do you help those who believe progress requires more intensity, more reps, or more effort?
I know how to hook their interest. I have concrete tools that let me demonstrate on day one that precision-not volume or speed-produces the most important results. People come to the Method with imbalances and pain; my job is to hit the target-create a shift and relief immediately. They see progress, I give them the practical experience, and then I explain the “miracle” in clear theory.
We’re all conditioned to believe “to get more, do more”-that’s normal. But in practice, to get results you must hit the right target: learn to see your strengths and weaknesses, know your body, accept your specifics, and act from there. That’s exactly what I teach. After that, knowing themselves, people can go anywhere-fitness, yoga, the gym, running-any activity. I don’t exclude them; I support them. After the Method, I often lead clients into more strength-oriented programs-it’s wonderful when people grow and want another sport they love.
My role is to reconcile a person with their body, so they train while developing-informed rather than harmed. One of my teachers said: “You can earn a herniated disc in six years at the office-or in two years at the gym.” It’s funny-and true. Early on, I had a serious knee injury practicing yoga because I didn’t know my dysfunctions, and almost everyone has a similar story.
What is “calm axial alignment,” and how does it change movement quality?
Calm axial alignment is the state in which the body returns to its natural axis without force, tension, or ‘military’ posture. The brain always tries to keep the body where energy expenditure is minimal.
That benefits all systems-from breathing and circulation to joint function and deep stabilization.
If the body has clamps, hypertonicity, or chronic protective responses, natural axial alignment is disrupted. The body stops finding its efficient balance point and starts moving “through effort.”
It’s not about “pulling yourself up” or “standing straight.” It’s about the nervous system no longer defending itself so the muscles self-organize in the optimal sequence. Just imagine how much energy across all systems we could save-and how much easier life could feel-by working on this.
In your experience, what are the most common blind spots in the anatomy of the average yoga practitioner?
Yoga is wonderful-I’m familiar with many schools and deeply respect the tradition.
Viewed through neurophysiology and biomechanics, one key limitation appears: there is a lot of shape, stretch, and strength in yoga-and almost no mobilization.
Mobilization means small, multi-planar, neuromuscular movements that give the body more than most people expect:
- healthy joint mechanics,
- rib freedom and breathing,
- proper scapular movement,
- a stable axial line,
- the ability to move without pain.
Traditional yoga relies on static shapes and large ranges of motion. That creates a mismatch: flexibility grows faster than stabilization. The range becomes available, but the body doesn’t own it-which often leads to injury.
Yoga also encourages daily, regular practice. Practitioners sometimes pursue that ideal despite pain signals-philosophy takes precedence over one’s nature. Yet pain is a signal that something needs to change. Classical yoga doesn’t fit everyone: physiologically, some people have more elastin-dominant tissues and lots of stretching can destabilize their joints.
That’s about the traditional schools. The good news is that yoga is evolving and becoming more functional. The strongest teachers I know are those who were injured and then added deep knowledge of anatomy and physiology. It’s no coincidence we now have entire yoga therapy institutes with very solid methodologies.
What is your gift/passion for teaching? What are your weaknesses? How do you challenge and motivate yourself to keep learning?
My gift is attention to detail. I love to think; I’m very schematic in the best sense; I question everything. That drives growth and my motivation to study, analyze, and truly hear each person.
I don’t just love movement science-I live it. I don’t need an external challenge. My weakness is the fear of harming anyone, and that is exactly what propels me professionally. I can spend hours analyzing, studying, and thinking through someone’s case. I genuinely want to help. I remember my depression, and how close I was to knee surgery. I understand people and want to support them-and in my work there is very little room for error. That means I must keep studying and be fully present and attentive in the process.
Where do you want to go next? What are your plans and dreams?
I’m currently in the United States with a full training plan for the coming year. My client work is thriving. I work not only with adults but also with children and with clients over 70-and sometimes I can’t meet the demand.
That’s why I want to create a studio based on my method. I have plans to launch online courses, and I already have sponsors ready to support the studio project. I’ve started training other instructors to work alongside me so we can serve more clients.
I have many plans, but my main focus is always people. I want-and will continue-to help. I dream of making a system accessible that helps people trust their bodies, work with them, and be healthy and happy. Freedom of movement is an incredible resource that helps you achieve anything-and feel good while doing it.
